


neu roses

by orphan_account



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King, Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Break Up, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Crossover, Dreamsharing, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Kinda?, M/M, Post-Canon, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sort Of, Violence, but some things r different like homophobia isnt rly as bad because fuck homophobia, different time period, kinda. like its still set in the Old days, more like altered canon, one sided byler, past lumax and billverly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-07-23 15:29:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20010586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Mike has had dreams his entire life. So did Richie.They weren't normal dreams, no - they lived as each other in their dreams.





	1. the introduction: part 1

A werewolf. Sharp claws, snarling face, ugly hairy body.

Mike snapped out of his dream, sitting up in a panic. He breathed heavily, eyes wide as he looked around the room. Sunlight flooded in - no werewolf in sight. Instead, El sat in the recliner next the couch, magazine in hand. She was reading it before he woke up. Now, she was staring at him over the top of the pages. “Dream?” She asked, voice soft with concern.

“Yeah. Another one.”

But what did it _mean_?

For as long as he could remember, he had dreams where he lived as a boy named Richie Tozier. A boy who looked almost the same as him. This Richie boy, he had wavier hair and big glasses that enlarged his eyes so much he almost looked like a bug. Or a cartoon character. Not once had he ever had a normal dream; not even the nightmares some of his other friends got after the Upside Down.

“Was it bad?”

“‘There was a - a thing, a werewolf. I don’t know what it was. It was terrorizing Richie.”

His dreams used to be normal: Richie growing up, going to school, getting bullied, talking to his friends, and his stupid crush. But lately, they’d been taking a dark turn.

“Do you think they’re real?”

Mike sat up fully from his slumped position on the couch, staring at the socks on his feet. The stupid bananas with sunglasses were very interesting all of the sudden.. “I don’t know, honestly. The situation is so weird so maybe.. maybe my dreams are telling me something. I guess so.” It was weird, the way they seemed to tell a story. How he grew up with this boy who looked almost exactly like him, but was so unbelievably different, in his dreams.

Sighing, Mike stood up, staring at El. He had a total mess of a bedhead right now, and that tired look you get when you first wake up, but El found it quite endearing. She chuckled at him. “You look funny.”

“I just woke up,” he groaned. “Give me a break. But, uh, you know how you’ve been telling me I should tell the rest of the group?” She nodded. “Well, I think I should. And since we’re all going to the diner today, well, I figured it’d be a perfect day.”

El gave him an encouraging smile. She was the only one who knew of the dreams other than Will. “I think you should too.”

-

The diner was half full with families, people on their lunch breaks, and a few teens their age. The quiet scrapes of silverware and chatter along with calming music made Mike smile. After closing the Upside Down and bringing Hawkins to peace, he’d learned to enjoy a lot of the smaller things in life. It was the little things he'd forgotten about or never noticed that brought him warmth.

During the chaos of the Upside Down, he spent constant days and nights worrying. Worrying about who would die next, and what each new day would bring. Sometimes he still thought about it. His brain could not completely shut out the memories, and that was the immutable truth - but it had been three years. It wasn’t the same anymore. They were all moving on.

“Oh look, it’s the lovebirds.” Dustin grinned, the lack of teeth making it all the more charming. Mike smiled back, taking his seat next to Will, El following in next to him. The chatter that was already at the table became louder with the presence of Mike and El. After their food had come and they’d eaten, he forgot what he was really here for, thoughts lost in the moment.

“Guys,” Mike interrupted. Everyone looked at him almost instantly. He was the leader, and he’d had much practice with his authorative voice over the past couple years with the Upside Down. “I have something important to talk about. Well, kind of important. Important to me. Will and El know about it already, but I thought it was time to share it with you guys.”

“What is it?” Lucas asked, brow raised in concern. It wasn’t often the group kept secrets from each other. Will seemed to know exactly what he was talking about. He had also been encouraging Mike to tell the group, so he looked quite happy.

“I - well, I’ve been having… dreams?”

“Oh shit,” Dustin said, eyes wide. “Are they about the Upside Down? Or the demogorgons? Fuck, fuck-” he got cut off by Max hitting his arm. She shushed him. “Let him talk, idiot.”

“It’s not about the Upside Down. At all,” At least I hope not. “They’ve been happening since I was a kid. I don’t really know how to explain, but when I go to sleep, I have dreams that I’m living the life of someone else.”

Dustin and Lucas stared at him like he was stupid, their faces the epitome of confusion. Max was the first to respond. “What?”

“Like, ever since I can remember. When I go to sleep, I never have a normal dream. I live as a boy named Richie Tozier. He looks just like me but he’s got giant ugly glasses and wavy hair, and he is obnoxious. Very obnoxious.”

“And you’ve never had… any other dreams?” Lucas asked.

“No. I live a day in my life, go to sleep, live as Richie, then wake up and repeat. But lately, the dreams have been getting worse,” he sighed. “Something is terrorizing Richie and his friends. I don’t know why but I feel like - like maybe I can do something. Like maybe my dreams are real and mean something.”

“Are you sure you just don’t remember your other dreams?” asked Max. She seemed to be the only one of the three who was actually using her brain, instead of sitting confusedly. Dustin and Lucas seemed to think it was weird bullshit. Sometimes Mike truly appreciated her. He nodded in response, taking a sip of his almost forgotten chocolate milkshake. “Well.. do you remember all of the Richie dreams?”

“The recent ones, yes. But it’s like real life. Some things are fading childhood memories while others are so clear. I can only remember exact details best when I first wake up.”

Max hummed in response, nodded her head in thought. Finally, Dustin said something that made sense. “You should keep a dream journal. Like, when you wake up, you write down all you can remember. I read that it can also help you remember your dreams better in the future.”

“Huh,” Mike said. “You know Dustin, I think that’s the first thing you’ve actually contributed to the conversation.”

It was official. Mike Wheeler would start a dream journal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this first chapter is bad. i know its bad. its also short. the second will also be short because they technically make one chapter but it didnt feel right to put them in one chapter so i didnt. 
> 
> im terrible at writing and also having motivation but i love this idea and i want it to work out. i recently rewatched it with my bf and had this idea since he also forced me to watch all of stranger things but i actually enjoyed it so jokes on him.


	2. the introduction: part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just want to say that the universe of it is kind of altered (hence the tag). the events in the book and movie are very different, so i changed some things, for example the werewolf experience which is different than how it actually happened. 
> 
> (ps i promise the chapters will be longer than the intro chaps!! i split them into two bcos they are both intros but it didnt feel right in one chap)

“Another one?” Eddie asked as soon as Richie opened his eyes.

“Jeez, give me a moment to open my eyes, Eds. It’s always another one, by the way.”

“Don’t call me that. I’m just worried, okay. I mean, what if something is wrong with your brain? I wouldn’t be surprised, actually.” He let out a hearty chuckle.

Richie grabbed his glasses from his bedside table. He knew that Eddie worried about him. Eddie was always worrying, especially over Richie, because Richie was the most important person to him. Ever.

“Do you?” asked Richie. “Think they mean anything, I mean? Anything serious?”

“Maybe,” Eddie sighed. He layed back in the bed. It was times like these that he truly appreciated Eddie and everything he was. He was splayed out across in the sheets, comforter half on his left side and half off. Golden sunrise beams were illuminating his skin and his dumb cast. It was breathtaking to Richie. Eddie was always breathtaking to him. Even when he was being annoying.

“What do you think?”

“Well, first of all, I think I’m probably crazy. Thought number two is that I’m seeing another universe.”

“What.”

“Like, since this Mike dude, he looks just like me right? But uglier obviously. Well, I was thinking, maybe it’s me in an alternate universe. Where I’m uglier and I fight a demon with my alternate friends. And my alternate girlfriend.” He winked at Eddie with that last line, which earned him a hard glare from his boyfriend.

“Aw, I’m kidding Eds, you’re my only cutie, don’t worry. I don’t know though, honestly. I don’t think it’s an alternate universe because everything about us is different; we just have the same face. And body. He has poofier hair and no glasses. But like it totally could be.”

Richie really did wonder about it, though. It was beginning to worry him more and more. What if it had a connection to the things that had been happening in Derry? He hadn’t discussed his true worries and thoughts. Most of the group didn’t take him seriously. After all, he was Richie ‘Trashmouth’ Tozier, who made funny voices and was a big idiot.

Eddie was the only one who bothered to listen, but sometimes even he had trouble taking Richie seriously. However, at the very least, he would listen. “Richie? Hello? Earth to Richie?”

“What - oh, sorry, I was just..” His brain was tripping over hundreds of thoughts at once. He couldn’t stop worrying about his stupid dreams and what they could be telling him. Were they supposed to be saying something?

“Richie,” Eddie whispered. His tone was smooth, like the ocean on a windless day; it made Richie love him even more than he already did. “They probably mean nothing, you know. Like it’s probably because you got dropped on the head as a kid or something.” Richie burst out laughing, turning on his side to face Eddie. With his fist curled ever so lazily, he playfully punched him before hugging him close. As he breathed in the calming scent of his boyfriend, he forgot about the werewolf and It and his dreams.

The dreams mean nothing, Richie told himself. But this? This here, him and Eddie’s relationship, their love? _That_ meant something.

-

“ _It_ is getting w-worse. And Buh-Bev hasn’t showed up t-t-today.”

Beverly was one of the few people Richie cared about deeply. Something felt off about her not being here. The entire situation with It right now was scary enough, he didn’t want to worry even more. Truth was, he was downright terrified for his life and his friends.

A few moments before, they had got done discussing the leper Eddie had been chased by at the abandoned house on Neibolt. He still looked shaken up, but had seem to calmed down now that he was with Richie. Richie couldn’t help but smile for a second when he looked down at his boyfriend. Their hands were intertwined.

There was still the werewolf, though - he was the only one to not share an experience yet. He shivered just thinking about it. Really, it shouldn’t be that scary, but It was beyond sinister and he didn’t want anything to happen to his best friends or his boyfriend. A slap to the shoulder shocked him out of his worries, and Eddie stared at him with those deep earthy eyes.

“Richie? Are you okay?” The rest of the Losers stared at him, and he hated the concern on their faces. He didn’t want people to worry because then they ask what’s wrong and he can’t tell them. He didn’t want to be weak. It was stupid to worry over a goddamn fake werewolf that he probably hallucinated.

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. You know? I think we should go check on Bev.”

“But s-she said her d-dad would kill her i-i-if she was with buh-buh-boys,” Bill pointed out.

“I agree with Bill. I think it’s a bad idea.” said Stan, shuffling from foot to foot. Written across his face was a look that told Richie how unnerved he was, and he felt bad for him. This It thing had been getting to everyone at this point. However, it gave him an idea.

“But what if It got her?”

“Richie, c’mon, it’s not the time for joking-“ Eddie started, but Richie cut him off.

“I’m fucking serious guys, we can’t rule it out. Let’s go.” Hopping on his bike, he looked at the rest of the group. If they weren’t going to come, he would go alone. He cared too much about Beverly to just sit there and let her get hurt, in case she _was_ getting hurt. The rest of the boys finally gave in, hopping on their bikes.

“I swear to god Richie, if we die or get hurt because of this, my ghost is gonna send a note saying it was your fault.” Eddie said.

“Well, I’ll be dead too, Eddie spaghetti. So I guess that wouldn’t work now would it?”

“Earth to the couple, but if you really want to go see so bad, we need to hurry up.”

Richie hoped and prayed to any god that would listen that Beverly Marsh was okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first of all thank u guys so far!! i have 2 comments so far which doesnt seem like a lot but yeahh i really appreciate it because it makes me happy and motivates me ahah


	3. past and present

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i didnt expect this to get as much hits as it has? i mean its not that much in retrospect but to me it is :) so thank you so much to anyone who has taken their time to read, leave kudos, comment, or bookmark it means the world to me!!

They arrived at Beverly's apartment to see her sitting on the stairs. "Buh-buh-Beverly?" Bill called. He ran up the stairs, Richie hot on his heels. "Bev, a-are you okay?"

She stared up at him with wide blue eyes, before standing up and addressing the group of boys. "I have to show you guys something. My dad's not home, but he'd kill me if there were boys in the apartment. We have to be careful."

Richie didn’t feel like getting killed by a fucking clown.

"More than what was at the quarry?" Richie asked.

"Shut up, Richie!" Eddie snapped. It hurt for a moment, but he couldn't blame him. It was a serious situation after all. Richie sucked at serious situations. 

"T-Then we cuh-can leave a l-l-lookout," stuttered Bill. He had shifted closer to Beverly, Richie noticed, voice laced with concern. 

"But I want all of you to see. He won't be home for another two or three hours, I'm sure. Come on." She ran up the stairs, not even looking back to see if anyone followed. 

"Well, what are you all fucking waiting for? Let's go!" Richie barked, following her to the door. Eddie, Stan, and Ben glanced at each other, dropping their bikes and hurrying into the apartment as well. She led the group down a hall, before stopping and staring at the door at the end of it. 

Dark red light seeped from the cracks of the door, sending an eerie red hue across the floor of the dark hallway and the green walls. It sent chills through Richie's body. "In there," she whispered.

"What is it?" Bill questioned. 

"A-are you taking us to your bathroom?" Eddie asked, before beginning his spiel about germs and diseases. Richie hit him in the arm, glaring at him. It seemed to be effective in shutting him up. Bill cautiously pushed open the door, causing Eddie to gag.

"Holy shit!" exclaimed Richie, eyes going wide as saucers at the site. 

"Wh-What happened in here?" Stan asked. He kept to the back of the group, standing next to Ben. 

"W-woah," Bill whispered, taking in the room. "We c-can't leave it like this." The entire bathroom was covered in blood. Every wall, the floor and ceiling, the sink, the mirror - everything. It was like a scene from a horror movie - although Richie supposed they basically were living in one at the moment. The stench of iron was so powerful that it made his head throb. This was probably how he was going to die.

"You can see it?" Beverly asked. "My dad couldn't. I... I thought I was going crazy."

"If you're crazy, then we all must be crazy!" Richie exclaimed. He wanted to leave, suddenly wishing he had stayed outside as the lookout. The stench was disgusting.

"How did this happen?" asked Stan. He also seemed grossed out, not stepping into the room.

"I heard voices. They came from the sink, and I put a measuring tape down the drain and pulled up this long string of.. hair and bloody stuff. I-it wrapped around me, and blood was everywhere."

"Do you have any cleaning supplies?" asked Ben, examining the room. Beverly nodded, leaving them in the doorway to go grab rags and buckets. The Losers got to work, cleaning the bathroom, wiping away all of the blood and evidence of It. 

It took a long time of wiping down everything and scrubbing, pouring the blood into the bathtub to drain. Richie honestly thought he couldn't take it anymore by the time they were, for the most part, finished. Him and Eddie were ordered by Beverly to start taking the supplies back to where it should be. "My good sir," Richie said in his stupid British accent impersonation.

Eddie glared at him. "Stop that."

"It just comes naturally; I can't," he joked, pausing. "I'm glad the bathrooms pretty much clean. I don't think I could've taken it anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"The smell, it was terrible. And the blood too. My dreams... they've scared me off from blood. I can't stand it anymore." 

"How did the dreams do that? I mean, they're just dreams."

Richie sighed, sitting on a chair in the kitchen. He shrugged helplessly. Even though they were 'just dreams', every experience felt so real and it terrified him. He had no control over what was happening in the dreams - he had to sit back and experience it. All of the chaotic events of the Upside Down and the demogorgons had permanently scarred him. 

"It's just like.. every fucking thing. It felt so real, and it was terrifying. Like, there was this creature created by this 'Mind Flayer' thing, and it would just dissolve people into this gross goopy pile of blood. And then Eleven, she had a part of it in her leg and they had to get it out. It just - it scares me. It's not like a normal dream, Eds, I swear."

In the moment, he felt pathetic and weak. What kind of teenaged boy still got haunted by nightmares?

"Don't call me that," Eddie joked, soft smile on his face. "But I guess I can see what you mean. It's just weird to me. The dreams, I mean."

"Trust me, it's just as weird to me too. Everything is like a puzzle that I can't solve."

"Well, have you ever tried to control things in your dreams?"

"Yep, done. I've tried like, fucking everything." 

Eddie sighed, before leaning in to hug Richie. The warmth was comforting. It sent a fire burning through his chest, full of hope and wishes that his dream situation could be figured out one day. He was clueless about how to figure it out, which sucked, but maybe he'd be able to fix it after the It situation was solved. He hated the fact that he had even more weight on his shoulders with his dreams, but he didn't show it to anybody. Not even Eddie. 

"Guys?" Stan interrupted. "The bathrooms clean, let's go." The pair separated, joining the rest of the boys and Beverly as she led them out of the apartment. 

"Thank you guys, for helping me clean. I think we should talk about this It thing soon. It's getting worse." 

Bill nodded in agreement. "Y-yeah. How a-a-about we meet uh-up in m-my garage, n-next week?"

"Sounds good," Stan said. Everyone murmured and nodded. 

Richie felt his stomach drop. He hated the idea that it was getting worse. He hated the idea that now they were going to seriously talk about it, and take action as well. He was already so fucking distraught and confused from his dreams, plus the werewolf encounter. He didn't want to deal with anymore of the pain.

The group began to dissipate. Eddie and Richie walked the same way home. For once, Richie was silent. His mind was racing with worried thoughts. "Richie," Eddie said, voice like cold water - it shocked him, and he looked at him. "What's wrong?"

"I saw It."

"What?"

"Two nights before you were at my house last. I saw It. It was a fucking werewolf, a stupid one with a varsity jacket with my name on it, and it-" he let out a sharp breath. "It turned into a clown thing. I don't want to be a part of this, Eddie. I don't want more on my shoulders when I already worry about my fucking dreams." 

Eddie didn't say anything, instead he tugged Richie to the curb by his hand and sat them down. He turned to hug him, and Richie began to cry into his chest. He never cried. It was strange, because he wasn't quite sure why he was crying. The dreams and the werewolf had been bothering him so much lately, though. 

Even though Eddie wasn't good with Richie crying, since he rarely did, he offered him wordless comfort. 

Richie appreciated it more than anything at the moment. "I love you, Eddie. I'm sorry I'm being so fucking stupid."

"It's not stupid, Rich. I'm sure it's hard on you. Just try not to worry about it too much, okay, because I heard that it can actually-"

"Don't you dare try to spring one of your fucking rants on me, cutie. Or else." 

Eddie only grinned in response, kissing Richie's cheek before they continued the journey back home.

-

_Richie passed by his mom's Looney Tunes calendar, quickly glancing at it. It was October 23rd, 1989._

Mike couldn't get over the calendar in his dream. It wasn't right. As soon as he woke up, it was the first thing he took note of in his dream journal. He also felt grossed out by the bloody bathroom in his dream, and made sure to take note of that as well.

El and Will watched silently as he rushed scribbled down everything he could remember in his dream. Every detail, everything that had been said, the calendar, and a bloody bathroom. "Something was off." Mike stated, blinking at the two in front of him.

"What do you mean?" Will asked, furrowing his brow. El looked just as concerned.

"The calendar. It wasn't right, like the days didn't match up. It was a Looney Tunes calendar, 1989, and it was Tuesday. Today isn't Tuesday. It's not October either. It's July."

"Maybe the timeline doesn't align with ours?" suggested Will. El nodded.

"I agree."

"But it'd be weird to be basically living vicariously through someone, and the timelines don't match up. I don't think it's a coincidence."

"Are you sure that it wasn't July?"

"The calendar was Friday, October 31st, of 1989. I think that Richie may be living in the future. But I feel like I have to help him."

The pair looked at him like he was crazy. Time travel was unrealistic, basically. It was impossible to travel to the future. Mike stared at El, hard. She had many powers - and teleportation was a recently discovered one.

"I don't think it's entirely impossible," Mike said. "El, you can teleport right? And you can find someone by a picture of their face? I know exactly what Richie looks like, and if Will could draw him, we'd basically have picture of him."

"Mike," she said softly, as if trying not to hurt him. "I don't think that's going to work."

"But it could. We don't know that."

"I think it's a stupid idea, but there's no harm in trying to find him at least," Will shrugged. "Do you have any paper, Mike?"

He jumped up, quickly going to retrieve paper and a pencil from his room. When he came back, he handed it to Will. "First thing you need to know, he has the same face as me. He has giant, ugly glasses that make his eyes look bigger, and his hair is like mine but less poofy and it's sort of wavy."

Will instantly got to work, the three chatting about the rest of the dream and the strangeness of this "It" creature that the 'Losers Club' seemed to be suffering from. It took almost two and a half hours before Will had finished his drawing. Mike's eyes widened and he gaped. "This looks exactly like him!"

"He kind of does look like a bug," El giggled, studying the picture for herself. 

"I'm gonna get something to use as a blindfold. Go wait in the living room in front of the TV," Mike said. He found a shirt (which was dirty but he didn't really think about that - it passed the smell test for him), and brought it to El, gently wrapping it around her head.

She took a deep breath, the TV changing channels until it calmed to static. Mike stared at her, studying her face, before looking at Will. Will seemed to already be looking at him, and his face got red when Mike looked back at him. For a moment, he questioned if he was just imagining things.

Passing it off as nothing, he turned back to El. Her breathing sped up, worrying Mike. She hadn't really needed to use her powers since they closed the Upside Down and finished things with the Russians. Sometimes she'd use her telekinesis, because come on, who wouldn't? But she hadn't done this. There had been no reason to.

It had to be over thirty minutes of Mike constantly worrying, staring her down. After what had happened when she'd found Billy, he felt terrified. He looked to Will a couple times, just for comfort. Finally, El took the blindfold off, turning to stare at both of them with her intense brown eyes. 

"I found him." 

Mike felt his heart nearly stop. "You did?"

"Yes. But I think it was him now." 

"So you found him in our time, instead of the one Mike sees?" Will asked, looking back and forth between the two. El nodded in response, toying with the shirt in her hands. It was a multicolored striped polo shirt that Mike totally forgot he had. Probably because it was on the floor. 

"Then I guess that rules out time travel through your powers," Mike sighed dejectedly. "I feel like there was to be a way. We should ask everyone else." Will and El were visiting from where they had moved to, which was a bigger city called Bloomington. It was a couple towns over. Karen had offered for them to come stay at their house, since Will and El were closest to Mike. 

Jonathan had moved out to live with Nancy in Hawkins, which made Joyce consider moving back. After all, all of Will and El's friends were in Hawkins, plus Jonathan. The Upside Down was gone as well. Mike hoped they did, because he missed being able to hang out with the two often. 

"I don't know," Will interrupted his thoughts. "I mean, what else is there for us to try? El can teleport, but it's not like she can teleport to a whole other year. And if she's seeing Richie now, the only thing we can do is go to his current self. Or wait until next year."

"But what if we can manipulate her powers?" Mike questioned. El and Will seemed very confused by this thought. "Like, there's lots of theories about how to travel into the future. I mean, maybe we can manipulate her powers in order to make these theories work."

"I don't know, Mike. That sounds crazy." El said confusedly. "How would that even work?"

"I don't know, but I think first we should ask everyone else." 

Will and El looked at each other for a brief moment, before turning back to Mike. "Okay," she said. "We can talk to them tomorrow about it. I still don't know how anything will work, though."

"Yeah, time travel is a bit crazy, Mike," Will shrugged. "I don't know why you even care so much."

"I know it's crazy, but..." he faltered. What was he supposed to say?

He wanted to figure this out. Plus, he felt an indescribable attachment to this Richie kid now.

"I just want these dreams to be fixed." Mike said, finally. It wasn't the full truth, but for some reason, he felt awkward discussing his true feelings. No one else really understood what he went through with the dreams. No matter how much he explained it to Will, or El, or anyone else, he knew he couldn't just make them get it or feel what he felt. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another short chapter :o but the story is finally getting kicked off. i feel like im making so many mistakes already but its okay lmaooo
> 
> just a quick note that im not going to have access to a laptop/computer from like. august 6th-sometime in late august? not sure when. so i wont really be able to write as much :(( i will try but its really hard for me to write on a phone. i use the schools laptop that i had over summer because of summer school, and although i have my own, its pretty shitty and slow? i might be able to use it tho so idk! so between those times i wont really update as much probably
> 
> also i have summer orch now!! and my bf has marching band. i am probably going to struggle w writing now ahhahhh... sorry :(


	4. operation back to the future

Mike had made sure to tell everybody (including Steve, Robin, Nancy, and Jonathan) to meet at the Wheeler household the next day. And they did. Since the Upside Down, they hadn't really met up for serious reasons. It had only been casual hangouts between friends. Most of them had sounded worried because Mike hadn't really given a reason as to why. 

As Nancy and Jonathan filed in, the last two to arrive, Mike rose to the front of the room. Everyone was piled onto the couch, the recliner, and the floor as well. Taking a deep breath, he began to over think everything for a moment.

It was strange to see everyone together as a group again. It brought him back to the days of them working together, directly and indirectly, to stop the Mind Flayer and close the Upside Down. His friends were inciting some friendly banter, while Steve was being his usual goofy self with the eldest members of the group.

His friends were all around seventeen, everyone going into their senior year of high school. Nancy and Jonathan had long since graduated, now living together and probably getting married in the near future. Steve and Robin were roommates for now; the two of them had become the best of friends since working in Scoops Ahoy.

Finally, Mike cut through the noise by clearing his throat. All eyes were suddenly on him. His second thoughts were getting to him once again, but this was important to him, and even if his friends didn't care, he wanted to talk about it. _Needed_ to talk about it.

Yet, he felt so stupid telling everyone. He felt as if they wouldn’t really care.

"So, remember at the diner, when I mentioned my dreams?"

The younger members all nodded, but the adults stared back at him with raised brows. "What dreams?" Nancy asked confusedly. 

"Ever since I can remember, I have dreams where I live as a kid named Richie Tozier. He looks just like me but different. I've never had a different dream before," he explained. "But the point is that in my most recent dream, I noticed something."

For a moment, he paused, before continuing. "The date in my dreams is different. It's July, 1988. In my dream, it was October 23rd, 1989. So, the point of what I'm saying is that my dreams take place in the future."

"Okay, but why are you telling us about it?" Lucas questioned, shaking his head in confusion. Mostly everyone looked the same as him; why did Mike care so much about the dream. 

"El found Richie. We know he's a real person, but for some reason, dream-Richie is in the future. I know I could just wait until next October but it doesn't feel right. I feel like this is my own mission, to help with. So what I'm saying is that we need suggestions on how to time travel."

"Time travel?" Max repeated. "How in the world do you think that's even possible?"

"There are a lot of theories, you know," Robin stated. "It could be plausible."

"Yes, but they are _theories_." Dustin pointed out, shaking his head. 

"Many theories have been proven true. I think time travel is an interesting idea, but I think I know someone who may be able to _actually_ have an idea that could work. I'm gonna be honest, Mike, I don't think any of us can really help beyond theories." said Nancy comfortingly. It was crazy to think that there was a time where he absolutely despised his sister, because now they were a lot closer due to everything that had happened in the last few years.

Mike looked hopeful at her suggestion, though. Someone who could actually help. That sounded nice and refreshing, and it was the only time someone had said something really positive so far past Robin. El and Will looked at him, almost expectantly, wondering if he'd take up the offer. Finally, he said, "Well - who exactly is it?"

"Murray," Jonathan cut in for her. Mike never really knew Murray that well, just knew that Nancy, Jonathan, Joyce, and Hopper knew him better than everyone else. His only experience with him had been when they invaded the Russians to break the giant machine that was keeping the Upside Down open. He didn't really like him then, considering the three adults wouldn't let them do anything.

"He's pretty smart, and I'm sure he knows a lot of the theories better than us," Jonathan explained. Nancy nodded along. 

"The problem is that he lives in Illinois. It's only a two hour drive though." Nancy looked hopeful for Mike to accept because she wanted to help her brother. Even though the rest of the group was taking it seriously, sort of, she could sense that they thought it was somewhat weird and unnecessary. Despite their arguing and disdain in the past, they were very close and cared a lot about each other.

"I don't mind a two hour drive. I just.. if I go through with this, am I going to be alone or are any of you going to come with me?"

"As much as I'd love to, I'm going to visit Suzie for the next two weeks." Dustin said. He actually sounded somewhat genuinely disappointed. It surprised Mike because he thought he didn't really care all that much.

"I have to go visit family for the rest of the summer, so I also can't." Lucas sighed. "So that leaves you with Max, El, and Will."

Nancy nodded. "Yeah, I can only take you to Murray. But I have a job, and so do the rest of us adults. I'm sorry, Mike, I really wish I could." Sadness was evident in her charming smile, but Mike understood. He didn't mind all that much. Steve, Robin, and Jonathan all seemed to nod in agreement with her. They couldn't just drop their jobs to go attempt time travel.

Mike looked at the three remaining people expectantly. "Me and El will help you, Mike," Will smiled at him. "After all, we were the first two people you told." 

Max looked at the two, deep in thought for a moment. "Count me in, Wheeler." She grinned. 

Even though he felt a bit bummed out since the rest of them, especially Dustin and Lucas, couldn't come, he was happy he had at least some support. There was still an itch that bothered him, though. Everyone had stuck so close together since the Upside Down, or at least tried to. It was the first time they'd be conquering a new danger - this time missing more than half of the group. It was bittersweet, in a way. Mike missed it.

Even though the chaos that went down a mere three years ago was still a wound, fresh and open in their minds, he almost wished he could go back. The nostalgia hit him in the moment that he stared at his friends. It had been a time where they were all young and stupid, just trying to survive and figure out how to fix everything. It had been different. There had also been Barbara, Billy, Hopper, and Benny - the people they had lost along the way who they could never forget.

"I guess this meeting is over," Mike shrugged, smiling, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I just need to discuss things with the people who are coming."

At that, everyone began to file out of the room that would be staying behind. They left with hugs and goodbyes and promises to see each other soon. Soon only his sister, Jonathan, and three of his friends remained. "I say we should go tomorrow. Murray probably won't care if we randomly show up. I mean, he will, but it's Murray." Nancy gave a little smile, obviously reminiscing in old memories. 

"So what if we _are_ able to time travel, and get to Richie?" Max questioned, an eyebrow raised. 

"I know he's dealing with this - this clown thing," Mike explained. "They call it "It", and it changes into different forms depending on who sees it. I know Richie has the dreams too, because he talks about it sometimes with his boyfriend or thinks about it. He will probably recognize me."

"Well, what are we supposed to do with the clown? Didn't you say a lot of kids had went missing?" Will scrunched his face up. Obviously he didn't like the idea, but what he had said was true; many kids in Derry had gone missing.

"Well yeah, but -" Mike sighed sitting down on the floor. "Look, I don't know why but I feel like I'm having these dreams for a reason, and I think I have to help Richie. I know it seems ridiculous and dangerous. What we're gonna do is kick the clown's ass, and leave."

"How are we going to get back to the past, though? Travelling to the future is different." Max asked, her eyes almost pleading for him to have a plan. She seemed a bit scared of the idea of being stuck in the future in an unfamiliar city.

"If Murray has a way to get to the future, I'm sure he was a way to get to the past." Jonathan piped up. "And if he doesn't, we can figure something out. You're smart kids, I mean come on, we defeated the demogorgons and the Mind Flayer, didn't we?"

Mike and his friends grinned at that. It was true. Through their teamwork, they had gotten through that horrific event. Time travel should be a damn breeze compared to the tornado that was.

"I think we need a name for this operation," Max grinned. 

"Back to the Future." El suggested. It had been an instant favorite for her ever since it came out and they all went to see it in the theaters. 

"Operation Back to the Future." Nancy giggled. "I like it."

"Well," Mike began, a huge grin on his face. "Operation Back to the Future has officially begun."

-

The drive to Illinois could be explained in one simple word: boring. Extremely boring. They somehow all fit in Jonathan's shitty, beat up '72 Ford LTD. Mostly everyone made small talk, but Mike was caught up in other things. There was a deep ache in his heart - the kind that tugged on your heart and threatened to rip it from your chest. The overbearing kind that brought tears to your eyes.

He wasn't sure why it hit him all the sudden, but he couldn't help it. He looked out the window as the trees that passed by in a blur of greens and browns, hiding his wet eyes from El. 

For some stupid, outlandish reason, he missed the past. He missed when him and the boys would play DnD in the basement of his house, and how Dustin would obsess over his sister who had become stuck up. He missed solving mysteries and fighting evil with his friends. He missed Starcourt. Even though they went through so much trauma, and even lost people along the way, he missed the closeness they all shared.

They were still close, of course; after all, mostly everyone remained in the same town or still spoke to each other. When El and Will had moved away, he felt an intense sadness. That was the first time he truly acknowledged his nostalgia. It wasn't every day your best friend and your girlfriend moved away. 

When Lucas and Max broke up, they remained friends, but it was odd. Max strayed away ever so slightly. Dustin spent a lot of time with Suzie. Nancy had moved out, now living with Jonathan, and it's not like he was particularly close with Steve or Robin. Lucas had spent more time with Erica as well, since they had become a little closer after the Mind Flayer. It left Mike virtually alone. All he really had was his bulky walkie-talkie to communicate with his friends.

That's when he had especially focused on Richie. Before then, he tried to suppress the dreams and ignore them. Once he was alone, his dreams were the only company he had. It was during that period that he had become increasingly attached to Richie, and became more curious about meeting him in real life as well. He wasn't sure why he was so attached to the annoying jokester, but he was. 

He knew Richie had some sort of attachment to him as well. At least, judging by his thoughts. He couldn't hear all of his thoughts, but there were many that for some reason, he _could_ hear, and he'd learned that Richie did care for him somewhat. Richie was probably the only person who truly understood him as well, for obvious reasons.

When the car ride was over, Mike was relieved that he would be able to get the stupid nostalgia off his mind. He wasn't sure if he could take anymore of his crazy thoughts. 

Murray's... house thing was quite odd. It looked like some abandoned warehouse - nothing special. Nancy waltzed up to the door once everyone was out of the car, knocking on it almost violently. They waited for a few moments, staring expectantly at the door as if that would make it open. Nancy groaned. 

"I swear, he better open this damn door or else-" she was cut off by the door suddenly opening. The group was greeted with a tall man with black hair - although he was balding - that grew into a beard, and thin glasses. The one and only Murray Bauman. 

"What are you all doing here?" he asked. He looked kind of stupid, Mike thought, with his silly jean shorts and stained white tee. Despite being tall and thin, he had a pot belly. "I didn't necessarily expect a ton of children showing up at my door."

"Well," Nancy smiled. "Here we are. We need to discuss something with you, and it's hot outside, so it would be very kind of you to let us in."

Murray squinted at her, before stepping back and allowing the group to file in one by one. Max and El glanced at each other, and Mike and Will looked around, taking in the small living space. It was chaotic, yet somehow still organized, and obviously dirty and old. Despite this, it still had an almost homey feel to it. "What exactly do you need to discuss with me?" questioned Murray, taking a swig of a bottle of alcohol that Mike didn't know the name of. 

"Time travel," replied Mike. He sat on the red couch with his friends, while Nancy and Jonathan stood next to the couch, close together. "Specifically traveling to the future."

"Well, I guess I know a thing or two about that. Why are kids like you asking about this?"

"Mike's been having dreams," Will answered. "He lives as this boy named Richie, who we know is real, but recently he discovered that Richie is actually in the future."

"The hell do you need to time travel for, then?" 

"We need to go to the future to save him and his friends. I don't know what it is, but this clown thing is terrorizing him. I have a connection to him, and I feel like I'm supposed to be there helping him. I don't really know why."

"Well kid, I can tell you this right now: time travel is entirely based off of theories. I'm not really sure how you plan to make it actually happen."

"We are hoping, actually, that we could manipulate El's powers." Nancy said, voice hopeful. 

"In that case, maybe you'd take interest in the theory of wormholes," Murray shrugged, gulping down more of his alcohol. "See, Hermann Weyl first proposed it, although I guess Stephen Hawking truly brought it to attention. They could allow for travel through space-time, and although they've never been found, they are said to be microscopic."

Everyone looked very confused at this. "Wormholes?" El asked, her brows furrowed in wonder.

"Yes, wormholes. You opened the portal to the Upside Down, didn't you? See, if you could possibly find a wormhole, and enlarge it, creating a portal, you could travel through space-time and get to this Richie kid."

"But how?" Jonathan asked. "How would we even find a wormhole, if their existence hasn't been proven?"

"Their existence has never been disproven either," he shrugged. "How she would find one, I have no idea. Probably a radio interferometer."

"A what now?" Mike asked, scrunching up his face.

"The big dish things," Max explained. "Like the ones at NASA."

"How the hell are we supposed to get one of those?"

"Hijack them, duh," Max grinned devilishly. "I mean, if we could find one and use it, that'd be great. Isn't there one at the research center?" 

"Yeah," Jonathan said. "There is. We should wait until night and use them. But, how do we use them to find a womrhole?"

Murray shrugged, once again. So much for the great help. "You find one with the interferometer through it's readings. It looks different than a black hole, so you'll know because-" he paused, getting up and grabbing a random slip of paper and a pencil from the mess on the table. He began to sketch how a wormhole would potentially look. 

"Black holes have event horizons. You can't see through them, it's black - hence the name, black holes." Murray laughed at his own joke. "Wormholes, however, will have light travelling through them. You'll also be able to see to the other side."

Mike felt overwhelmed. How were they supposed to find a damn wormhole, enlarge it, then travel through it? It was so much work, he wasn't sure if El could even do it. Besides, it's not like wormholes had been proven as well. They might not even be real, and the search might be useless. Mike felt like giving up at that point. Maybe he should just wait until next year, then travel to Derry, but he worried even more. What if Richie died in his dreams?

However, when he glanced over to Eleven, she had this look of determination on her face - the determination he'd seen so many times three years ago. It reassured him, told him that no matter how much they might struggle with this new journey, they would get through it together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wish that many songs today came out in the 80s so i can just implement them into this fic. it b like that yknow 
> 
> this chapter was really st centric sorryyyy but theres a lot to do in the st timeline!!! also i cannot tell if jonathans car was a 71 or 72 cos im dumb and only kind of knowledgeable in cars (because of my dad lmao). i also am dumb and do not actually know much about wormholes i just looove the concept. so a lot is probably going to be inaccurate sorry to all the science nerds out there. 
> 
> this is the longest chapter yet and i hope to write longer in the future but :') i am dying hope u all enjoy!!!!


	5. a temporary, quick note.

i feel like author note chapters are a bit strange on ao3, like its more of a wattpad or fanfiction.net type thing lol but thats besides the point!

i havent lost interest in this fic but i definitely feel like i wrote it in a bout of creativity where i didnt really consider quality over quantity as much so im going to put this story on a sort of hold and edit it completely, changing things, rewriting it, yknow? i decided to post this in a chapter because well, i cant really just post it as a note in a story and expect yall to see it. i dont know if anyone is really subscribed to this fic or whatever but, if anyone is and likes this fic, i wanted them to know :(

im going to delete this chapter after i edit everything. i also might post another fic in the process because i have an idea for one? so uhhh yeah.

**Author's Note:**

> fic title is from: neu roses by daniel caesar.


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